Support for H.R. 2231
SUPPORT FOR H.R. 2231
Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2231, the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act, and I ask my colleagues to work with me to pass this important legislation.
Last Sunday was Mother's Day, and in honor of all mothers, I rise today to stand with the National Breast Cancer Coalition and the 3 million American women living with breast cancer today to urge all my colleagues to push for passage of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act--H.R. 2231. Too many mothers, daughters, wives, and sisters are dying from breast cancer. We will not end this disease until we find out what causes it.
It is generally believed that the environment plays some role in the development of breast cancer, but the extent of that role is not understood. Less than 30 percent of breast cancers are explained by known risk factors. However, there is little consensus in the scientific community on how the environment impacts breast cancer. Studies have explored the effect of isolated environmental factors such as diet, pesticides, and electromagnetic fields, but in most cases there is no conclusive evidence. Furthermore, there are many other factors that are suspected to play a role but have not been fully studied.
Clearly, more research needs to be done to determine the relationship between the environment and breast cancer. What is needed is a collaborative, comprehensive, national strategy to study these issues. H.R. 2231 makes that strategy possible. This bill would create a new mechanism for environmental health research. It would establish up to eight research centers to study environmental factors and their impact on breast cancer. Modeled after the successful Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, it would include consumer advocates in the peer review and programmatic review process.
This Federal commitment is critical for the overall, national strategy and the long-term research investments needed to discover potential environmental causes of breast cancer, so that we can prevent it, treat it more effectively, and cure it.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 2231, and I urge my colleagues to work with me to pass this bill this year.
http://thomas.loc.gov